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How convenient would it be to secure your iPhone without ever having to enter a passcode again? One analyst is predicting that Apple will raise the stakes in the smartphone race by adding a fingerprint sensor to the iPhone 5S. AppleInsider observes that Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities has a "particularly strong track record" when it comes to predicting Apple's upcoming products.

Not only would a fingerprint sensor push Apple ahead of the competition, but Kuo believes it would cause problems for others to catch up. Android and Windows phones typically have multiple buttons below the display. The addition of a fingerprint sensor would cause "intuition issues" for users. In contrast, the iPhone 5S will have only one button, perfect for integration with a fingerprint sensor.

We already pointed out in December that iOS devices seem to be running more Google apps than any other apps available in the App Store. So it makes sense that five of the top six mobile apps In 2012 were made by the search engine giant. Apple's decision to replace Google Maps on iOS 6 is the only reason why Facebook managed to nab the number one spot in 2012, according to the latest comScore Mobile Metrix ranking. Other apps rounding out the chart include Pandora, iTunes, Cooliris and Yahoo! Messenger.

Facebook also dominated in app usage accounting for 23% of time spent on apps. Facebook's redesigned app, which was much faster and user friendly, probably helped with usage. Facebook's sister app Instagram nabbed 3% of the market, while Gmail was the most used Google app. Various Google apps also accounted for 10% of app usage, making Facebook and Google products the most used on mobile devices in 2012.

Unlike like the previous couple of years which were filled with dreams of tear-dropped iPhones, the start of 2013 has been pretty quiet for the normally busy Apple rumor mill. The end of 2012 put an end to some the biggest Apple rumors with the launch of the iPad 4, the iPad mini, and the long awaited iPhone 5. This is also why Wall Street is predicting a slow start to the new year for Apple, and why AAPL is down even after the company recently announced a record $54.5 billion in revenue.

Apple CEO Tim Cook promised iOS fans some "amazing new products" in the company's quarterly earnings press release released yesterday. Here's what the rumor mill thinks they will be.

iPhone 5S:

Some analysts are promising a 2013 summer release for the iPhone 5S. Apple isn't expected to make any changes to the iPhone's form factor like it did with the iPhone 5, but purported photos of leaked iPhone 5S parts show minor changes to the aluminum chassis. It is also rumored that Apple will offer the iPhone in an iPod touch-like array of colors, and introduce a Home button fingerprint sensor system.

jOBS, the Steve Jobs biopic starring Ashton Kutcher, will be released just a few days after Apple celebrates its 37th anniversary on April 19. Directed by Joshua Michael Stern and written by Matthew Whitely, the movie will chronicle Jobs' life and career from 1971 through 2001. The film is set to make its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, on January 25.

jOBS is from Open Road Films and Mark Hulme's Five Star Feature Films. It's not the Aaron Sorkin film based on Walter Isaacson’s bestselling biography being produce for Sony Pictures.

Apple officially released its Q1 2013 earnings report, and put an end to speculation that demand for the iPhone and iPad is low.

Apple CEO Tim Cook addressed recent rumors that iPhone and iPad production has slowed due to a decrease in demand. Cook explained using order cut “data points” is not an accurate way to determine what is happening inside of Apple.

“It’s good to question the accuracy about any rumor regarding build plans," Cook said. "I'd stress that even if a particular data point were to be factual, it would be impossible to interpret the effect on our business. Our supply chain is very complex... there's a long list of things that would make any single data point not a great proxy for what's going on."